MLS - February 22 - LA Galaxy (Away)

[KevinJRogers]

i think the point is if he really wanted to stay, he would have at least given the new guy a chance. Unless he had already committed to another team and accepted an offer, if he really wanted to stay, I think it's reasonable to at least hear the new guy out.

I certainly would have in his shoes. Then again, maybe he was getting pressured a little to make a decision. I mean, we ourselves have complained about guys being signed just days before camp.

Perhaps the Galaxy were like, "Hey man, we're coming with a much bigger number than anything they've put in front of you, but we don't want to wait until the last minute. We have alternatives where we can spend it." If you're in Justin's shoes, do you want to gamble on Dunivant coming with the same number? Especially if you feel like you've been lowballed and getting strung along.

I don't know if that was the case, or it was a matter of David Lee dithering, or if it was just too good a deal to pass up. Maybe it's all three.

 

[gbservis]

So am I opening the chat?

 

[KevinJRogers]

So am I opening the chat?

Go for it. And yes, I'm being totally selfish. I watch on a split screen.

 

[mgarbowski]

I didn't read it that way. Haak said by the time Dunivant offered to fly out to meet him, "he had essentially decided what he was going to do."

So, more like too little, too late, at least from Justin's perspective.

Deal wasn't done. NYCFC was in new hands. He made a choice he was entitled to make not to consider a counter. If he did not want to leave but left anyway because David Lee made him feel bad, that's poor decision-making. Doubly so because Lee was gone.

At least 80% of athlete decisions in these situations are primarily about money, and good for them, especially a guy like Haak who won't make enough to be independently wealthy when he's done. Almost all of the remainder of such moves involve location, family, a chance to win, or to play with a particular teammate.

Nobody at NYCFC made Haak leave. He played more minutes than anybody on the team in 2025. By his own account they made multiple offers. When another team made an offer he found acceptable he refused a meeting with NYCFC's new management. If he left at that point because he was still mad that the 2024 coach who got fired didn't make him a starter, or the Sporting Director who left 2 months earlier didn't preemptively "WoW!" him with an offer, despite the potential of higher pay and all of his antagonists gone and supposedly preferring NYC?
That's new, unbelievable, and if actually true, really stupid on his part. I choose not to believe he's that ridiculous. I do think he a young adult coming to grips with the realities of adult decision making including the unavoidable trade-offs..

 

[joe]

I certainly would have in his shoes. Then again, maybe he was getting pressured a little to make a decision. I mean, we ourselves have complained about guys being signed just days before camp.

Perhaps the Galaxy were like, "Hey man, we're coming with a much bigger number than anything they've put in front of you, but we don't want to wait until the last minute. We have alternatives where we can spend it." If you're in Justin's shoes, do you want to gamble on Dunivant coming with the same number? Especially if you feel like you've been lowballed and getting strung along.

I don't know if that was the case, or it was a matter of David Lee dithering, or if it was just too good a deal to pass up. Maybe it's all three.

NYCFC offered more money.

 

[ZYanksRule]

NYCFC offered more money.

They did, but if they did it after Haak had already made his decision, then that's probably a distinction without a difference. If he had already come to a verbal agreement with LA Galaxy or had already made up his mind then NYCFC never really made that offer.

 

[KevinJRogers]

By his own account they made multiple offers. When another team made an offer he found acceptable he refused a meeting with NYCFC's new management.

This situation sounds a lot like the Mets and Edwin Díaz this last postseason. Sugar said the Dodgers really came for him, and when he heard a number he liked, he took it without circling back to Stearns and Cohen.

The Mets offer was arguably better, but it wasn't blow away better, and in the end it was about more than just the raw numbers anyway.

 

[joe]

60% possession and basically no xG, this team will never change

 

[GratefulDawg]

We need a striker.

Happy that we didn't collapse after the early goal, but we don't have enough attacking force right now.

We need a striker.

 

[KevinJRogers]

We need a striker.

Happy that we didn't collapse after the early goal, but we don't have enough attacking force right now.

We need a striker.

 

[ALBNYfan]

1 SOG which was the PK. OOF.

 

[ZYanksRule]

I'm OK with that draw. Could have been more, but I'm OK with it. Never criticize a road point.

If we sign a striker, we are legit MLS Cup contenders and I will not back down from that belief.

Nico Fernandez-Mercau is a joy to watch and it wouldn't surprise me if he has a 10+ goal/10+ assist season. He's terrific.

 

[Revfugee]

Not mad given we didn’t have a striker.

I think we were about 10 more Keaton minutes away from a win. Or maybe 5 Seymour minutes. Shore and Baiera on the buildup to the Keaton Penalty no call were a revelation. It’s almost as if they’ve been playing together for years.
I wish Pascal had brought Seymour on for Agu.

Tayvons ball through on the pen that DID get called was excellent.

And I think I heard Justin’s name mentioned once in the second half. He was great but the academy and CFG will make more Justins. Not much or any falloff to Trewin.

87 minutes of domination will set us up for success.

 

[moogoo]

Keaton looked great. Trewin debut was solid. Shore and Baeira together were attacking and fun to watch. Maybe it was cause LAG were defending deep but they looked smooth together with nico, who is indeed the real deal.

I would like to see more magno. He looked aggressive and eager. I want to see what a couple years in brazil has taught him. having a DP come on as an 88th minute sub is definitely not how I'd like to utilize such an important roster spot.

Onto philly... a win there would feel fantastic, as always.

Jones and Perea coming back will add a lot of dynamic flow to our attack so hopefully they can make it back sooner rather than later and both also come back better than ever, like Parks.

 

[Revfugee]

P.s. looked to me like Garces swatted the ball with his falling arm on the pen.

 

[DeGrozz]

We need a striker.

Happy that we didn't collapse after the early goal, but we don't have enough attacking force right now.

We need a striker.

Hindsight is 20/20, how could anyone have possibly known that we needed a striker this past transfer window? No one saw that need coming...

 

[BC19]

Trewin was fantastic, the glaring hole at striker cost us 2 points. The fans continue to care more about February fixtures than the front office.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Trewin was fantastic, the glaring hole at striker cost us 2 points. The fans continue to care more about February fixtures than the front office.

If we sign a striker by the end of this window we are set up fine. We should care more about November than February. If we make additions that arrive within the next two months we are in great shape for a deep run.

 

[RunningWise]

My next door neighbors are stuck in Orlando. My wife's friend took her daughter to an admitted students' tour at Michigan yesterday and they can't get a flight back to NY until Tuesday, and instead of the usual 70-80 minute flight it's an 8 hour multi-city itinerary.

At that point I’d be driving.

 

[KevinJRogers]

If we sign a striker by the end of this window we are set up fine. We should care more about November than February. If we make additions that arrive within the next two months we are in great shape for a deep run.

Gotta figure Keaton is a starter if he's fully fit, and that will make a huge difference too.